Man charged with bilking VA for travel expenses

Dec. 30, 2013 - 08:13AM
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MEMPHIS, TENN. — Prosecutors say a Memphis man has been charged with improperly billing the Veterans Affairs Medical Center more than $5,000 in mileage for trips to and from Mississippi that he never made.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reimburses disabled veterans 41.5 cents per mile if they must travel to seek treatment.

Investigators said 57-year-old Jimmy Dale Wilson collected $5,674.94 by claiming to make about 73 trips from Tupelo, Miss., to Memphis between September 2010 and January 2011. Authorities said Wilson, who had been living at a Memphis homeless shelter at the time, never made the trips.

In a Friday news release, Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich said Wilson has been indicted on a charge of theft over $1,000.